The Price of War
by Examine
Summary: After the world is left torn after the Knight wars, a man named Jet - along with two others - attempt to bring the world back to it's peaceful state.
1. Chapter 1

****About****

This story will eventually be uploaded onto the RuneScape forums - once it is completed. However, for that to happen, I need reviews. I'm posting the story here so that you guys may help me along the way. I need advice, because I want this story to be as great as it possibly can. If you find any errors, please inform me of them. I did have a prologue written out, but I decided to add it in later in the story. Thanks, and enjoy :)

****Summary****

After the world is left torn after the Knight wars, a man named Jet - along with two others - attempt to bring the world back to it's peaceful state.

**Chapter 1**

Lightly sipping his fresh Asgarnian Ale, Jet looked out the window of the rowdy bar. He often came to this bar to watch the sun, and admire the beauty as it fell beneath the mountains in the distance. The mountains seemed to stretch on endlessly, and as always, Jet pondered about how huge the world really is. He'd never really talked to the others that came to the bar. He kept to himself, finding no interest in socializing at all.

Jet wasn't always this shy, though. He was 19 years old, living in the grand city of Falador. When he wasn't working in the mines, he spent most of his time in his room, isolated from the rest of the world. Sometimes, however, he came to this bar just to adore the simple attraction of nature. He felt himself to be more social with the environment, than with other people. It often worried his older brother, Miles, who was 28.

Occassionally, the owner of the bar would ask Jet why he never sat or communicated with anyone else. Jet always replied by slightly shrugging his shoulders, and sometimes adding a feeble, "Dunno."

Brushing his long, dark brown hair out of his eyes, Jet stood up and pushed the bar doors open. As he walked out, he noticed that the sky was quickly getting darker. He decided to walk through the park before going home. Even as a 19 year old young man, he loved visiting the once-beautiful park. Walking down the path, his hair bouncing behind him, he glanced around at the city. In addition to spending time at the bar, he also enjoyed exploring the city, and watching others live. Even so, he never said a word to anyone else. He kept to himself as he sluggishly walked through the city. He turned to see a small child arguing with his mother.

"But, mommy, I wanted to stay and play with everyone else!"

"It's getting late, young one. I'm sure your friends have left as well. They'll be there tomorrow."

Jet overheard this conversation, and a smile found its way across his face. The child forced him to think about what it would be like to have a mother of his own. His parents had been taken away 10 years ago, during the war. He had been vaguely educated about the war when it first broke out. It was a constant struggle for power between the Black Knights of Gelinor and the White Knights of Gelinor. Unfortunately for Jet, the Black Knights were rapidly growing in power, and eventually won the war, capturing Falador. They sent in troops to invade the homes of the innocent civilians, sending the sick and the elderly to death camps. However, they left the ones who were capable of working, and turned Falador into a labor camp. The beautiful, massive city that Falador once was, had turned into a depressed place of work. The amount of crime was skyrocketing, due to the fact that people were paid very little for working. Jet and his brother, Miles, were assigned to work in the mines to collect ore. They were paid almost nothing for their hard work.

The grass crunched beneath his feet as he stepped toward the fountain in the park. Clinging back to reality, he splashed water across his face, and took a deep breath. Still, after 10 years, he hated himself for watching the Black Knight take his parents away, and watching silently. He will always remember the face of the man who ruined his life, and the feeling of it haunted him like a ghost.

The sun had been gone, and Jet was consumed by the darkness. He enjoyed the calm wind of the Spring night, but decided it was time to head home. He stood, and began to drag his feet along the dirt path. Spotting a shiny object in the ground, he curiously walked over to it. It was bright white, covered by green leaves. He noticed that they were dwellberries! When Jet was very young, his mother had told him a tale about dwellberries. She noted that they were blessed by the Gods, and that anyone to come across one was charmed with luck for a few moments. Jet's interest in silly legends was low to moderate. He had hardly any interest in Gods either, sometimes even doubting their existence. People who worked at the mines with Jet and Miles have always talked about the three Gods - Saradomin, Zamorak, and Guthix - claiming that anyone fortunate enough to meet one of them was "enlightened". Jet hadn't fully understood what that meant, but he always went along with it. He decided to pick the leaves off of the dwellberries, and stared at them for a bit. He then stretched his arm to cram the leaves into his pocket. It was a silly legend, but it was something that reminded him of his mother. Nodding to himself, he began to turn home.

Nearing the Falador marketplace, Jet heard a noise. It came from behind him. Puzzled, he turned around to find himself in front of two tall, muscular men. They tried to hide the look of fear eliciting from their eyes. Jet saw their fear, however, and wondered if he was giving off the same vibe. They both had shaved heads, and were slightly overweight. One of them smiled, and held up his hand, revealing a short dagger clenched between his fist. The shock of seeing the sharp weapon sent a chill down Jet's spine. "Look, I don't want any trouble," Jet admitted. His deep voice echoed in the empty park.

The man with the dagger chuckled, "There won't be any trouble, once you give us that pack you got there." He spit the words through a deep, intimidating voice.

Jet reached behind him and felt the pack that hung from his shoulders. It contained the money that he had earned from working in the mines. It wasn't much, but he needed it to pay the tax collectors. He wasn't planning on just handing it over. Instead, he reached further across his back and grabbed the medium-sized sword that was attached to his belt pouch. He had always carried it around for protection, ever since the city was penetrated with thieves. His father had given it to him when he was taken by the Black Knight. His father was a well-respected guard of Falador before the war. This is how Jet learned most of his fighting techniques. He knew that it'd come back to him when he really needed it most. He needed it most now.

Knowing that they were thieves, Jet drew his sword, and tension built very quickly. The three men were sizing each other down. Very quietly. Waiting to strike.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The dagger was slashing at Jet in all directions. Luckily, due to the man's poor accuracy, Jet managed to evade most of the attacks. However, one of the strikes gently scraped the top of Jet's arm, leaving a small scratch on his skin. Angered, Jet jabbed at the man's stomach. His sword successfully cut into the man's gut, and he watched as the crimson stripes of blood seeped through the heavy man's shirt. The large man fell to his knees. Jet didn't feel very comfortable hurting another person, but he convinced himself that it was just in defense. It was either kill, or be killed.

Suddenly, the other man was charging at Jet. He tackled Jet to the ground and began to struggle for balance. Jet shook around in order to knock the man off of him. However, Jet didn't have enough strength to lift the overweight man. The man was positioned with his entire body covering Jet. Jet closed his eyes and began to scream. Not only had he lost all control in the unfair battle against the two muscular men, but he had also lost control of himself. He struggled for what seemed like forever, until he felt something drop on his face. It was a liquid - a very thick liquid. It felt strange as it slowly rolled down his cheek. He realized that the man wasn't struggling anymore. Jet's harsh screaming had been gone, but he couldn't remember how long it had been gone. He was focused on the drop of liquid that gently stroked his face. Jet slowly opened his eyes...

He was staring into the lifeless eyes of the man who he had been tumbling with. He quickly rubbed the drop of blood off of his face. The rotten thieve was now nothing more than a rotten corpse. Rolling the body over, Jet examined it. A wound hideously stretched across the man's forehead, allowing blood to flow out of the small hole. Jet was disgusted at the sight. The world spun around him faster than a gnome glider as he lay his head down next to the puddle of thick, crimson liquid.

Jet saw someone standing over him. He squinted his eyes, but still couldn't make out who it was. His vision was far too blurry - it was just a figure to him. He couldn't move his body. Jet laid motionless as his eyes sank, until he could see no more.

Jet awoke to the sound of chatter coming from a distance. The world was a blur at that moment, but he rubbed his eyes and steadied himself.

He was in a small room. It was warm, so he quickly noticed that he was no longer outside. Isolated from the sunlight, the room was dimmed, but not completely dark due to the candles that were lit across the walls. His father had always told him stories of travelers who awoke in strange places, aching with pain. But this was not the case for Jet. Jet felt comfortable in this room, and not a single limb in his body hurt. The bed creaked as he sat up to stretch. The bed creaked. The bed. Jet was in a bed. His captors obviously cared enough to put him in good conditions. Relief now replaced his fear - he was in the hands of kind people.

The door slammed open from the other side of the room. Approaching him was a smiling girl. She looked about 18, and she was dashingly beautiful. Straight, blonde pieces of hair painted her shoulders in neat strands. Two short daggers bounced up and down from her belt as she walked toward him. "Hello," she grinned, "My name is Alice." She reached out her hand to greet him.

A puzzled look still attached to his face, Jet extended his arm and shook her hand.

As if responding to his confused expression, Alice smiled, "You looked like you were in some trouble last night. You ought to be more careful." Her voice was almost as beautiful as she. It was soft and high-pitched.

Jet turned red as she spoke. How could he be so foolish as to wonder around late at night in a town crawling with thieves? Still, he said nothing to the girl. To his surprise, she began to laugh.

"Don't be so embarrassed. I thought you needed some help, so I did what I needed to to," she said, tapping the shiny dagger that hung at her left side, "What is your name?"

"My name..." Jet hesitated, "My name is Jet."

Before he knew it, Alice was grabbing him by his arm and tugging him across the room. She briskly pulled him through the door, into another room. This room was much bigger, however. Jet concluded that it was most likely a main hall. Awaiting him, about ten other women, some looking much older than Alice, glared at him through concerned eyes. All wore the same clothing as Alice - light gloves, a tight guise, and a pair of leggings. The clothes even had the same deep blue color. They whispered to each other as he and Alice neared.

"He's awake," Alice yelled over the quiet murmurs, "He says that his name is Jet."

One of them stood up and started walking toward Jet. This one, unlike the others, wore a long black cape that almost touched the floor when she walked. Jet noticed the cape, and immediately assumed that she was some sort of leader. Her gray hair and wrinkled skin indicated that she was older than the rest of the group. "This was a mistake," Her voice seemed to be as dry as Al Kharid, "You must go. It may be a mistake to let you leave, but you must know that you cannot tell anyone about this place."

Still confused, Jet nodded at the woman. The rest of the group cowered behind the woman as she spoke. It was like they were afraid of Jet. He felt himself getting hot, and he knew that his face was turning red again. A rope dropped in front of him, and Alice looked at him. He was puzzled; how is a rope supposed to get him out of this one? He looked up to find a circle of natural sun lighting up the room. Jet realized why the sun hadn't been lighting up the room he was in earlier. In fact, it wasn't a room at all. Jet was in a system of caverns.

As reality hit him in a wave, he grasped onto the rope, and climbed onto it. It was ragged and rough, but he managed to withstand it. He pulled himself up the rope until he reached the top of the cavern. Finally, Jet peaked his head out of the hole, to realize that the area above was surrounded by high rocks - the hole was hidden from sight. He pushed himself out of the cavern, and stood on the ground. He climbed around the rocks with ease, and found himself in Falador park. The park was filled with children playing and running around. Jet looked at the sky, and decided that it was most likely around midday. Looking back once more at the hole, he started to run home. He knew that Miles was waiting for him, and was probably worried sick.

As Jet ran, he dug his hand into his pocket to feel the dwellberry leaves. "Some luck," he muttered to himself.


End file.
